A qualified accountant broke a 63-year-old woman’s arm after he chased her dog away and hit her. Anthony Mears panicked after the animal ran at him, only to leave his owner with “catastrophic” injuries that left her unable to do basic things on her own.

Mears of The Willows Aberdare also punched the plaintiff’s husband before telling the couple, “You don’t know who you’re messing with.” However, the 54-year-old later turned himself in to police and reportedly “sincerely apologized” for his actions.

He appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday 20 January to receive sentencing after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm.

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The court heard how at 6:50 am on 15 August 2022, Michelle Bowen was preparing breakfast at her home in Aberdare when her dog suddenly reacted to a human being, Mears, walking past her window. The dog ran out of the residence towards Mears, who was walking her dogs outside.

Andrew Kendall, the prosecutor, said Bowen ran after the dog and, when he reached it, reached down to grab it by the collar. At that moment, Mears kicked towards the animal, but instead touched the whistleblower’s arm.

Mrs.’s husband Bowen left the house to see what was going on and got into an argument with Mears, with the defendant punching him. After Bowen took him away, the couple returned home when Mears yelled at them, “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

Mears then left with his dogs in the direction of Aberdare Park. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bowen went to the hospital later that day, where it was revealed that she had broken a bone in her hand, which was later put in a cast and bandaged.

The defendant presented himself at the police station on August 26. He told the police that he shooed the dog, not Mrs. Bowen, and claimed that she injured her hand shooing the dog away.

Kendall added that before the incident, Bowen was an “independent” woman who walked her dogs three times a day and took care of her elderly mother. However, the trauma suffered caused her to lose her independence and become dependent on her husband, who in turn took time off work to take care of her and fulfill his responsibilities, including that of his mother.

She can’t dress herself, cook or drive while paying to wash her hair twice a week because she can’t do it herself with her injured arm. The court heard that the incident had a “huge impact” on Bowen’s life, as she lost the confidence to go out alone and became “nervous”.

Before this crime, Mears was convicted twice. In 2020, he was jailed for 21 months for unlawful injury after biting another man four times during a fight at a Wetherspoons pub two years earlier.

In that case, he confronted 23-year-old Jarrad Davies and left him with bites so deep that doctors reportedly asked him what kind of dog attacked him. However, after a Court of Appeal hearing, Mears’ previous sentence was overturned and he was sentenced to six months in prison.

In Mears’ defense, Ross McQuillan-Johnson said his client had scared Bowen’s dogs, not the plaintiff herself, adding that he was “scared” and “unfortunately” grappled with the 63-year-old woman’s arm. He is said to have been “sincerely remorseful” and “apologizing” for his crimes and understood that he had “caused him great pain” by his actions, for which he pleaded guilty as soon as possible. A fully trained accountant works full time and needs to start an anger management course.

In passing sentence, Registrar Greg Bull KC described the incident as a “reckless act in the heat of the moment”. He added: “Unfortunately, it caused what turned out to be catastrophic damage. [Ms Bowen] which caused him great discomfort and loss of comfort.

Mears was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months. She was ordered to pay damages of £1,000 to the plaintiff, as well as costs of £420 and a statutory fee of £154, payable by 7 April this year. You must also undergo a 20-day rehabilitation activity.

Source: Wales Online